Spacer bar retainers and methods for retaining spacer bars in metal wall studs

Abstract

A retainer and methods for retaining a spacer bar within an opening in a web of a metal stud. In one embodiment, the retainer includes a cover plate that has a plurality of resilient snap members for retaining engagement with the web of the metal stud when the cover plate is pressed into the web opening. The cover plate may have a notch that is configured to nestingly receive a portion of the spacer bar therein. Other embodiments may include retainer tabs for retaining and/or applying a biasing force to the spacer bar.

1. A stud spacer retainer system for use with metal studs that each have a web with at least one opening therethrough, said system comprising:
 a spacer bar sized to extend through the openings in the webs of at least two metal studs that are spaced at a desired distance from each other; 
 a cover plate; 
 a plurality of nonplanar resilient snap members on said cover plate for retaining engagement with a portion of the web of one of the metal studs defining the opening, such that no portion of said cover plate extends below the opening in the web of the stud; and 
 at least one retainer tab protruding from said cover plate oriented adjacent to the spacer bar when said cover plate is retained in the web opening by said plurality of resilient snap retainers. 
 
     
     
       2. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 1  wherein said retainer tab is integrally formed with said cover plate. 
     
     
       3. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 1  wherein said at least one retainer tab applies a biasing force to the spacer bar when said cover plate is in said retaining engagement with the web of the metal stud. 
     
     
       4. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 2  wherein said plurality of resilient snap retainers are integrally formed with said cover plate. 
     
     
       5. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 1  wherein a portion of said cover plate spans across a portion of the opening in the stud web when said cover plate is pressed into the opening and wherein said portion of said cover plate has at least one opening therethrough. 
     
     
       6. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 1  wherein said cover plate has at least one knockout formed therein. 
     
     
       7. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 1  wherein the web opening has a web opening width and wherein said cover plate has a cover plate width that is greater than said web opening width. 
     
     
       8. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 1  wherein said cover plate and said at least one retaining tab are fabricated from a material selected from a group of materials consisting of metal, polymeric materials and rubber. 
     
     
       9. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 1  wherein a shape of said retainer tab is complementary to a cross-sectional shape of the spacer bar. 
     
     
       10. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 1  wherein said retainer tab has an inverted V shape. 
     
     
       11. A stud spacer retainer system for use with metal studs that each have a web with at least one opening therethrough, said system comprising:
 a spacer bar sized to extend through the openings in the webs of at least two metal studs that are spaced at a desired distance from each other; 
 a cover plate having a notch therein that matches a cross-sectional shape of the spacer bar; and 
 a plurality of nonplanar resilient snap retainers on said cover plate for retaining engagement with the web of the metal stud when said cover plate is pressed into the web opening such that a portion of the spacer bar is received within said notch and no portion of the cover plate extends below the opening in the web of the stud. 
 
     
     
       12. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 11  wherein said cover plate is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of sheet metal, polymeric material, and rubber. 
     
     
       13. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 11  wherein said plurality of resilient snap retainers are integrally formed in the cover plate. 
     
     
       14. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 11  further comprising at least one knockout in said cover plate. 
     
     
       15. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 11  wherein the spacer bar has a V-shaped cross-section and wherein said notch in said cover plate has an inverted V-shape. 
     
     
       16. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 11  wherein said notch is so shaped to centrally locate and retain the spacer bar within a bottom portion of the web opening when said cover plate is retained in an upper portion of the web opening by said plurality of resilient snap retainers. 
     
     
       17. A stud spacer retainer system for use with metal studs that each have a web with at least one opening therethrough, said system comprising:
 a spacer bar sized to extend through the openings in the webs of at least two metal studs that are spaced at a desired distance from each other; 
 a cover plate sized to completely cover a portion of the opening in the stud web that extends above the spacer bar; 
 at least one nonpianar resilient retainer protruding from said cover plate for retaining engagement with a portion of the stud surrounding the opening therein to retain the cover plate in position wherein said cover plate completely covers the portion of the opening in the stud web that extends above the spacer bar and such that no portion of the cover plate extends below the opening in the stud; and 
 a retaining tab protruding from said cover plate and adjacent to said spacer bar when said cover plate is retained in position by said at least one resilient retainer said retaining tab having at least one fastener hole therethrough. 
 
     
     
       18. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 17  wherein each said at least one resilient retainer is formed from a portion of said cover plate. 
     
     
       19. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 17  further comprising at least one knockout in said cover plate. 
     
     
       20. The stud spacer retainer system of  claim 17  wherein said cover plate and said at least one retaining tab are fabricated from a material selected from a group of materials consisting of metal, polymeric materials and rubber. 
     
     
       21. A wall, comprising:
 at least two metal studs each said metal stud having a web portion with at least one web opening therethrough; 
 a spacer bar extending through the web openings of at least two of said metal studs and engaging the web portions thereof adjacent to an end of each said web openings to space said at least two said metal studs apart from each other a predetermined distance; and 
 at least one retainer member corresponding to at least one of said web openings through which said spacer bar extends and having a cover plate with at least one non-planar resilient snap member protruding therefrom for snappingly retaining the cover plate in another end portion of said web opening to retain said spacer bar in engagement with said web portion and such that no portion of the cover plate extends below the web opening. 
 
     
     
       22. The wall of  claim 21  wherein each said retainer member has a retaining tab protruding therefrom for contact with a portion of said spacer bar. 
     
     
       23. The wall of  claim 22  wherein at least one said cover plate has at least one knockout therein. 
     
     
       24. The wall of  claim 21  wherein each said retainer has a biasing member protruding therefrom to apply a biasing force to said spacer bar. 
     
     
       25. The wall of  claim 21  further comprising a retainer tab on each said retainer member wherein each said retainer member has a shape that is complementary to a cross-sectional shape of the spacer bar. 
     
     
       26. The wall of  claim 21  wherein each said biasing member is shaped to nestingly receive a portion of said spacer bar therein. 
     
     
       27. The wall of  claim 21  wherein each said cover plate has a notch therein that is shaped to nestingly receive a portion of said spacer bar therein. 
     
     
       28. The wall of  claim 21  wherein said spacer bar has a V-shaped cross-section and a plurality of notches therein for engaging the webs of the studs. 
     
     
       29. The wall of  claim 21  wherein each said retainer is fabricated from material selected from the group of materials consisting of metal, polymeric material, and rubber. 
     
     
       30. A method for constructing a wall, comprising:
 supporting a first metal stud having a web with at least one opening therethrough in a vertical orientation such that the first metal stud is plumb; 
 supporting a plurality of additional metal studs that each have a web and at least one web opening therethrough such that the web openings of the additional metal studs are aligned with the web opening in the first metal stud; 
 inserting a spacer bar through the aligned web openings of the first metal stud and additional metal studs to orient the first metal stud and the additional metal studs at desired spacing intervals relative to each other; and 
 snapping a corresponding retainer member in the web openings of the first metal stud and additional metal studs such that the spacer bar is retained in each web opening an such that no portion of said corresponding retainer member protrudes below the opening into which it is snapped. 
 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 30  wherein said supporting a first metal stud comprises:
 attaching a base member to a structure; and 
 attaching a bottom end of the first metal stud to the base member such that the first metal stud is supported in a vertical orientation wherein the first metal stud is plumb. 
 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 30  further comprising attaching a bottom end of each additional metal stud to the base member. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 30  further comprising inserting at least one utility member through openings in the corresponding retaining members. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 30  further comprising attaching a portion of at least one retainer member to the spacer bar. 
     
     
       35. A method of retaining a spacer bar extending through an opening in a web of a metal stud in retaining engagement with the web of the metal stud, said method comprising snapping a retainer into the opening in the metal stud such that the retainer applies a biasing force to the spacer bar and such that no portion of the retainer extends below the opening. 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 35  further comprising inserting at least one utility member through an opening in the retainer. 
     
     
       37. A retainer for retaining a spacer bar within an opening in a web of a metal stud, said retainer comprising:
 a cover plate having at least one knockout formed therein; 
 a plurality of resilient snap members on said cover plate for retaining engagement with a portion of the web of the metal stud defining the opening; and 
 at least one retainer tab protruding from said cover plate oriented adjacent to the spacer bar when said cover plate is retained in the web opening by said plurality of resilient snap retainers. 
 
     
     
       38. A retainer for retaining a spacer bar within an opening in a web of a metal stud, said retainer comprising:
 a cover plate having at least one knockout therein and a notch that matches a cross-sectional shape of the spacer bar therein said cover plate; and 
 a plurality of resilient snap retainers on said cover plate for retaining engagement with the web of the metal stud when said cover plate is pressed into the web opening such that a portion of the spacer bar is received within said notch. 
 
     
     
       39. A wall, comprising:
 at least two metal studs each said metal stud having a web portion with at least one web opening therethrough; 
 a spacer bar extending through the web openings of at least two of said metal studs and engaging the web portions thereof adjacent to an end of each said web openings to space said at least two said metal studs apart from each other a predetermined distance; and 
 at least one retainer member corresponding to at least one of said web openings through which said spacer bar extends and having a cover plate with at least one knock out therein and at least one resilient snap member protruding therefrom for snappingly retaining the cover plate in another end portion of said web opening to retain said spacer bar in engagement with said web portion. 
 
     
     
       40. A method for constructing a wall, comprising: supporting a first metal stud having a web with at least one opening therethrough in a vertical orientation such that the first metal stud is plumb;
 supporting a plurality of additional metal studs that each have a web and at least one web opening therethrough such that the web openings of the additional metal studs are aligned with the web opening in the first metal stud; 
 inserting a spacer bar through the aligned web openings of the first metal stud and additional metal studs to orient the first metal stud and the additional metal studs at desired spacing intervals relative to each other; 
 snapping a corresponding retainer member in the web openings of the first metal stud and additional metal studs such that the spacer bar is retained in each web opening; and 
 inserting at least one utility member through an opening in the retainer. 
 
     
     
       41. A retainer for retaining a spacer bar within an opening in a web of a metal stud, said retainer comprising:
 a cover plate; 
 a plurality of nonplanar resilient snap members on said cover plate for retaining engagement with a portion of the web of the metal stud defining the opening, such that no portion of said cover plate extends below the opening in the web of the stud; and 
 at least one retainer tab protruding from said cover plate oriented adjacent to the spacer bar when said cover plate is retained in the web opening by said plurality of resilient snap retainers, said retainer tab having an inverted V shape. 
 
     
     
       42. A retainer for retaining a spacer bar having a V-shape shaped cross-section within an opening in a web of a metal stud, said retainer comprising:
 a cover plate having a notch therein that has an inverted V-shape that matches a cross-sectional shape of the spacer bar; and 
 a plurality of nonplanar resilient snap retainers on said cover plate for retaining engagement with the web of the metal stud when said cover plate is pressed into the web opening such that a portion of the spacer bar is received within said notch and no portion of the cover plate extends below the opening in the web of the stud. 
 
     
     
       43. A retainer for retaining a spacer bar within a bottom portion of an opening in a web of a metal stud, said retainer comprising:
 a cover plate sized to completely cover a portion of the opening in the stud web that extends above the spacer bar; 
 at least one nonplanar resilient retainer protruding from said cover plate for retaining engagement with a portion of the stud surrounding the opening therein to retain the cover plate in position wherein said cover plate completely covers the portion of the opening in the stud web that extends above the spacer bar and such that no portion of the cover plate extends below the opening in the stud; and 
 a retaining tab protruding from said cover plate and adjacent to said spacer bar when said cover plate is retained in position by said at least one resilient retainer, said retaining tab having at least one fastener hole therethrough.